Côte d’Azur Shopping Spree: Memories Tour Day 3

When twenty ladies gather together, you know they’re going to shop. It’s only natural. That’s why the South of France Memories Tour, with best-selling author Patricia Sands and the Barefoot Blogger, planned a full day for a Côte d’Azur shopping spree.

Côte d’Azur Shopping Spree

Grasse

The “shop til you drop” agenda for Day 3 started with a visit to the town of Grasse and the Fragonard perfume factory.

Fragonard is one of the leading perfumeries in the world. Before the area became famous for perfume, the main industry was glove making. Perfumes were introduced into the production process when clients complained about the gloves’ foul smell. Years later, when gloves went out of fashion, the perfume company remained.

Choosing a favorite fragrances when there are so many is never easy

Tourettes Sur Loup

The tiny village of Tourettes Sur Loup was a surprise stop on our way to St. Paul de Vence. The small town, known for violettes, made a perfect setting for lunch under a chestnut tree and browsing through lots of little shops.

St. Paul de Vence

One of the oldest medieval towns along the Côte d’Azur, St. Paul de Vence became a haven for starving artists in the early 1900’s when a simple guesthouse, now the La Colombe d’Or hotel, welcomed unknowns such as Picasso. In return for room payment, the artists would leave paintings. While the hotel’s reputation spread and more artists visited, the whole town benefited. Today St. Paul de Vence is filled with galleries, and the hotel family owns one of the finest contemporary art collections in the world.

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The Barefoot Blogger receives no monetary contribution for publicity. Items and services that are mentioned in posts are personal, opinion-based recommendations and experiences chosen to pass onto interested followers of the Barefoot Blogger. There are no promises or guarantees regarding the accuracy and completeness of information supplied.